Last week I talked about how Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan had swiftly reacted to the recent flood hazards that has struck the country and what the organization and its employees are doing to play their role in society by aiding the community to survive and rebuild their lives.

This week however I shall be talking about how Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan as a business has adapted to this abrupt change in environment to ensure the business concern muddles through the heavy storms and difficult times.

Once the storms were pertinent, sales teams warned all employees, distributors and stakeholders beforehand and were advised for a swift evacuation from their respective cities.
RB stocks were kept at higher positions to avoid damages at all distributions and employees were geographically shifted to safe locations.

Since the markets were flooded, business was seemingly looking bad. But with the RB spirit instilled within the organization, sales teams sought out NGOs and other human–aid agencies to neutralize the sales lost due to floods; a vast array of consumer promotions and new product developments were introduced with smart trade plans to satisfice business potential.
When an acute shortage of petrol was being faced in my area, we got bicycles and CNG Rickshaws to do the selling. All that was needed then was the ever reliable RB team spirit to achieve great business value through individual strides congruent to the overall objectives.

Reckitt Benckiser is an organization that teaches its employees to never secede to difficult challenges, rather through unconventional and smart planning, Reckitt Benckiser relies on its fantastic fast-paced, adaptive culture to think creatively and act in accordance to the situation.
It is this never-die and can-do approach prevailing in the organization that defines Reckitt Benckiser as a unique organization in today’s business world.

Pakistan is currently facing the worst ever torrential rains and floods in its history. Some 14 million people have been affected in the nation’s worst deluge in 80 years, with more than a thousand feared dead and huge loss to property. In this hour of need, people from all across the country and beyond are coming forward to extend their support and rehabilitate the victims through cash and kind.

As part of the annual Independence Day Celebrations at RB Pakistan, we collaborated with Pakistan Red Crescent Society & Pehla Qadam (“First Step”) to provide relief goods and essential food items to survivors in the most affected areas.

The activity had a two- fold objective, which was to provide maximum support to the flood victims and to engage RB employees through the altruistic deed. What was calculated to be a 2 hour activity, in true RB fashion, we managed to wrap up in less than an hour with 50 boxes filled, taped and stacked, ready to be sent over to the PRCS.

We managed to collectively contribute towards the rehabilitation process for the numerous displaced in the current natural calamity. The day was a tremendous success, showcasing true RB team spirit and re-igniting the humanitarian spirit in all of us.

.Stress [stress] noun

Origin: 1275–1325; (n.) ME stresse, aph. var. of distresse distress; (v.) deriv. of the n.

Physiological Definition : a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism

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Between getting the numbers on your net revenue trackers right, pulling out your hair to meet your month-end figure, and endlessly hounding down your clients to order a new line by close of business, stress levels at RB can often escalate before you’ve even had a chance to grab your morning coffee.

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Luckily, the combination of being a “graduate”, working on certain accounts and the overall Team Spirit that encompasses RB really does assist in “stress-management” and ensures you don’t get piled under in work! And if you don’t believe me, the proof in just the last month below doesn’t lie.

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Metcash Expo 2010

The Metcash Expo is the biggest event in the independent retail calendar, with the theme of

this years RB stand featuring “Kath and Kim” showcasing the new “Bamercise” Easy off Bam promotion amongst other new products for 2010.

This week in the Gold Coast, Queensland was a fantastic platform for RB to both promote the company as well as understand how key competitors were planning on positioning themselves for 2011.

It was also a great development opportunity for myself as I was able to assist with planning of the event, networking with clients, retailers and competitors as well as attend some extremely fun dinners and functions for Metcash.

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Strepsils Cool Ice Rink

A few weeks ago was the opening of the Sydney Winter Festival in the backdrop of the majestic St Marys Cathedral in the CBD. The ice-rink at the festival was sponsored by the Strepsils team to promote our newest cough cold line, Strepsils Cool.

Thanks to my hard work driving Strepsils Cool through the Petrol & Convenience channel, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to visit the alpine region, where a large Reckitts group enjoyed endless ice skating, mulled wine, and definitely a few laughs over a few minor falls on the ice!

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City to Surf

Yet another event that was enjoyed only a couple of days ago was RB’s participation in the longest fun-run in the world – Sydney’s City to Surf. The toughest of the toughest RB employees got together to defeat the 14km run from the CBD down to the shores of Bondi Beach as well as use the opportunity to raise some money for RB’s biggest charity, Save the Children.

The event really was a fabulous opportunity to mingle with the people you don’t see every day, and push the ones you do to make it to the finish line! Wearing our sponsored “Finish Quantum” singlet tops we raced down to Bondi, and spent the rest of the lazy Sunday afternoon at a private RB after party sipping wine, eating tapas and enjoying massages overlooking the shores!

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As you can see, it can often be stressful working as an Analyst at RB. The hours are not always easy and neither is the work. But when it comes down to it, the best stress-management is having a great group of motivated people to work with..

You can negotiate deals all day long, but the rewarding events really do sweeten them just a bit more…

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Here we are again with our “interviews with a graduate”. After Marco Marini’s story, this time we met Camilla, Supply Chain Assistant. Camilla Dell’Adami De Tarczal is a young engineer from Trentino Alto Adige, a region in the north of Italy. She moved to Milan when she was 18 to study at Politecnico di Milano. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Management and Production Engineering (major in Production and Logistics)and a Master of Science in Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering (major in Business), started in Italy and competed in Nebraska, US. Straight after, she came back to Italy and she joined RB for a 6 months internship in the Supply Chain function, before becoming Supply Chain Assistant.

We asked Camilla to share her experience with us and what is Team Spirit means for her.

Camilla, it’s been a year since you’ve joined RB. You have started you experience straight after university: can you explain us how your colleagues supported you during this year?

It has been a really good balance of collaboration, coordination and share of responsibilities. The “learning on the job” process was particularly intensive at the beginning of my experience in September 2009 but it didn’t stop afterwards: my colleagues still manage to help me whenever I need some kind of explanations and, even if I am still considered the “small creature” to look growing up, they can also rely on me. As a matter of fact, I consider “being supportive” part of my tasks.
They gave me a good picture of what is the organizational structure of RB and helped me understanding both the requirements of my role and the different programs that can make your life easier if you learn how to use them properly. They didn’t play an important role only from a professional point of view: they also gave me the kind of support that I needed in order to be more confident in my capabilities. It sounds like I couldn’t make a move alone! But actually the  “art of asking help” implies that you have first to try your best to come up with a solution and then, if you are stuck, to ask for collaboration.

Can you give us an overview of your position and explain us how important is knowledge sharing and team work for the role you’ve been covering?

I am part of the CRP team in the Supply Chain department. Because of the adoption of  the “Just in Time” philosophy, we are held responsible for the warehouses of  some RB’s clients. They share stock information on a daily basis: we manage their orders and attempt to maximize the service level and minimize the  “stock in days”. In addition to that, we are able to optimize in terms of distribution costs, size and frequency of the orders. I am also responsible for monitoring some performances and producing reports on a monthly basis. This implies coordination with my bosses in order to develop action-plans. Personally and as a team we are involved in projects aimed at reducing distribution and transport costs and we are constantly asked to deepen our perception of the business in order to find which hidden costs can be reduced.
Knowledge sharing and team work, in my case, is not only important but fundamental. As time is the first critical resource, we have to be overlapped in order to reduce the time to get a solution for the problems we are facing everyday. We have our specific tasks, but  there is a bunch of information that, developed by one, can be used by everyone in the team. So, we identify the one of us with  that specific know-how or right disposition to solve a particular task, as “specialization” brings to a less waste of energy of the group itself. Confronting a new problem we ask for opinion and we come to design together a strategy in case a similar situation arises again. Most of the times,  the strategy definition starts with “Hi, are you fine? What are you up to? Do you need some help?” and it ends with “Ok, well done!”

You’ve been working closely with colleagues from other functions, which broaden the scope of the Team, going beyond your department.

Yes, CRP team is working closely with other departments and we are sometimes under a lot of pressure: different targets across functions impact the Supply Chain department and our work is to deliver a result that is a good trade-off between our personal targets, the ones of other functions and of the clients. For instance, distribution is asking us to increase the order size, sales to increase the stock level in order to sell more and CRP team, representing the client’s need, is asked to minimize stock in days and be more “just in time” as possible. Is it difficult? Yes. That’s the reason why communication and tight collaboration across all functions is a “must”.

What was the impression you had of RB after the interviews and what can you say after one year?

Young and dynamic: these are the adjectives that best describe the first impression I had of RB. Days have been slipping away fast and, after one year, I would add something more: challenging and  willing to get more and more from people inside the organization and from the market. It’s a context where you can express your potential and get also a lot from the company. It’s full of chances and it’s up to you to recognize them and harvest that ones that best suits you.

Imagine you attend a career fair at your University, representing RB’s Supply function: how would you describe a work experinece in Supply to young engineers?

Confronting recent graduates, always struggling to find what makes them feel alive, I would suggest RB: this work experience, as a Supply Chain Assistant, broadens my views and my skills in the everyday life of a challenging area of work. As a matter of fact, you are constantly facing high targets and you are involved in projects aiming at reducing cost inefficiencies and increasing customer satisfaction. You have to be fast, to understand the background and go beyond it in order to come up with new solutions.Do you want to touch it with your bare hands?Welcome on board! Here it is: RB supporting you in your first steps and asking you constantly to give your best and think “new” from the beginning.
First of all, entering RB as a recent graduate, I learned and I am still learning what it means working and, despite someone’s work expectations, it’s amusing starting Your day at a workplace. Don’t underestimate a good context!
Second, You will be able to use the tools You acquired during the academic years such as the capability of strong analysis, assessments and valuations of alternatives in an overwhelming number of different scenarios.Thanks to both Your strong willingness and the high demanding profile of this company, I can assure that You will learn more and more..day by day!

RB doesn’t simply say it wants to be the best without meaning it.
Rather the organization believes in becoming the best by learning and acting upon the best practices in all facets of the organization’s workflow.

Last month, a sales workshop was conducted by the name of “Train the Trainer.” It was a two- day workshop where RB Sales personnel from all across the nation gathered in Lahore to discuss every detail of the sales booking and execution process.
The training was mediated by a young and energetic third- party trainer. Lengthy discussions, critiques on various sales approaches, team building exercises and presentations were all part of the agenda and kept everyone involved over the two days.
It was also a fresh change for the otherwise single mindedly target oriented sales people and was an appreciable change in the routine.

The aim of the workshop was to analyze the sales booking and execution process and make any and all possible improvements by refining it and making sure the execution is simpler, quicker and more effective. And the results are showing it; six weeks after the desired changes, sales have considerably increased and the process has become much easier to learn at the trainee level.

Of all things Reckitt Benckiser prides itself of being able to keep improving upon its processes and to make sure that the sales teams themselves aggregate, discuss, ponder and finalize any related changes exposes how Team Spirit is not just a named value in the organization but is also followed religiously.
RB enjoys empowering its employees so they can display their entrepreneurial abilities even if so as a team. It is not a blind faith in employees but the certainty that the people in the organization are fully aware how they can improve the business everyday.
It is a not so blind faith, because RB knows that it equips its people with the required skills to make the important decision right when it counts.